System and method for qualitative indication of cumulative wear status

ABSTRACT

A method for the determination and qualitative indication of cumulative wear status of a complex system having a plurality of individual components, comprises the following steps: measuring a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usage status of a plurality of individual components in a system; storing the values of the measured parameters; weighting the values of the measured parameters according to a predetermined formula; calculating a single value from the predetermined formula; and displaying a single indicator indicative of the qualitative wear status of the overall system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/764,528, filed Feb. 13, 2013, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FORQUALITATIVE INDICATION OF CUMULATIVE WEAR STATUS (Atty. Dkt. No.VLLC-31589), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following disclosure relates to systems and methods for thedetermination and qualitative indication of cumulative wear status ofcomplex systems, in particular, of systems such as those found onvehicles including boats, automobiles, trucks, trains and aircraft.

BACKGROUND

It is known to estimate the wear on the individual components of acomplex system by the measurement of certain macro-level parameterscorrelated to wear. For example, the wear on an engine may be estimatedby measuring the cumulative hours of running time, the wear on a pumpmay be estimated by measuring the cumulative gallons transferred, andthe wear on a switch may be estimated by measuring the cumulative numberof activations. In some cases, these quantitative measurements may bedirectly displayed as an indication of component wear. In other cases,the quantitative measurements may be used in conjunction with empiricaldata to display an indirect indication of component wear, whichindication may be either quantitative or qualitative.

Complex systems such as those found in vehicles including, but notlimited to boats, automobiles, trucks, trains and aircraft may have tensor even hundreds of large components (e.g., engines, motors, generators,pumps, valves, etc.) and hundreds or even thousands of smallercomponents (e.g., doors, switches, lights, sensors, etc.). It maytherefore become impractical to display the wear status of eachindividual component. Further, even if the wear status of eachindividual component is displayed, the typical user cannot easilyassimilate and evaluate such data to obtain meaningful insight into thewear status of the overall system. In other words, the user cannoteasily assess the qualitative “wear and tear” on the system. Suchassessments can be useful for a number of reasons, e.g., to determinesystem fitness or readiness for a particular task, to determine systemvalue (i.e., for purchase or sale), or to assist in the scheduling ofpreventive maintenance. A need therefore exists, for systems and methodsfor determining and/or qualitatively indicating the cumulative wearstatus (i.e., “wear and tear”) of complex systems.

SUMMARY

In one aspect thereof, a method for the determination and qualitativeindication of cumulative wear status of a complex system having aplurality of individual components, comprises the following steps:measuring a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usage status ofa plurality of individual components in a system; storing the values ofthe measured parameters; weighting the values of the measured parametersaccording to a predetermined formula; calculating a single value fromthe predetermined formula; and displaying a single indicator indicativeof the qualitative wear status of the overall system.

In another aspect thereof, a method for the determination andqualitative indication of cumulative wear status of a complex systemhaving a plurality of individual components comprises the followingsteps: measuring a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus of a plurality of individual components in a system, wherein eachparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponds to the usagestatus of a particular one of the plurality of individual components;storing the values of the measured plurality of parameters; weightingthe values of the measured plurality of parameters according to at leasta first predetermined formula to create a plurality of weighted values;calculating a single wear value from the plurality of weighted valuesusing another predetermined formula, which is different from thepredetermined formulas used to create the plurality of weighted values;and displaying a single indicator indicative of the qualitative wearstatus of the overall system.

In one embodiment, the single indicator indicative of the qualitativewear status of the overall system is a numeric value with the range fromV_(min) to V_(max), where V_(min) is an arbitrarily selected minimumvalue and V_(max) is an arbitrarily selected maximum value.

In another embodiment, neither V_(min) nor V_(max) directly correlatesto any actual cumulative quantitative value of use or wear for theplurality of individual components.

In still another embedment, neither V_(min) nor V_(max) directlycorrelates to any actual cumulative quantitative number of activationsor cycles for the plurality of individual components.

In a further embodiment, the single indicator indicative of thequalitative wear status of the overall system is a displayed colorselected from a predetermined finite set of colors.

In another embodiment, the displayed color is a color selected from theset consisting of green, orange and red.

In yet another embodiment, the displayed color is a color selected fromthe set consisting of green, yellow and red.

In another embodiment, the individual component is an accelerometer andthe particular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to theusage status is the occurrence of either (i) 80% of peak measuredacceleration or (ii) 100% of accelerometer scale.

In still another embodiment, the individual component is a hull and theparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus is the occurrence of a large difference in accelerometermeasurements between a bow portion of the hull to a stern portion of thehull.

In a further embodiment, the individual component is an engine having avariable engine oil temperature and a variable engine oil pressure andthe particular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to theusage status is the occurrence of (i) a high engine oil temperature atthe same time as (ii) a low engine oil pressure.

In another embodiment, the individual component is an engine having avariable engine RPM value and a maximum engine RPM redline value and theparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus is the occurrence of (i) the engine RPM value being at or above(ii) the maximum engine RPM redline value.

In yet another embodiment, the individual component is an engine havingan engine temperature and the particular one of the plurality ofparameters corresponding to the usage status is the occurrence of (i) asignificant number of engine temperature flucutations.

In another embodiment, the complex system is a boat or ship.

In still another embodiment, the complex system is an automobile.

In a further embodiment, the complex system is an airplane.

In yet another embodiment, the system transmits parameter values via adata network between the system and a remote device; and the qualitativeindication of cumulative wear status is displayed on the remote device.

In still another embodiment, the remote device is a mobile device.

In another embodiment, the mobile device is a smartphone or tabletdevice.

In another aspect thereof, a method for execution on a computing devicefor the determination and qualitative indication of cumulative wearstatus of a complex system is provided. The complex system has aplurality of individual components, and the computing device has aprocessor, a display device operatively coupled to the processor, amemory operatively coupled to the processor, and a signal interfaceoperatively coupled to the processor for receiving signals from sensorsin the complex system. The method comprises the following steps:measuring, using a processor and a signal interface operatively coupledto the processor for receiving signals from sensors in a complex system,a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usage status of aplurality of individual components in a system, wherein each particularone of the plurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of aparticular one of the plurality of individual components; storing, usinga memory operatively coupled to the processor, the values of themeasured plurality of parameters; weighting, using the processor and thememory, the values of the measured plurality of parameters according toat least a first predetermined formula to create a plurality of weightedvalues; calculating, using the processor, a single wear value from theplurality of weighted values using another predetermined formula, whichis different from the predetermined formulas used to create theplurality of weighted values; and displaying, using a display deviceoperatively coupled to the processor, a single indicator indicative ofthe qualitative wear status of the overall system.

In still another aspect thereof, a system for the determination andqualitative indication of cumulative wear status of a complex system isprovided, the complex system having a plurality of individualcomponents. The system comprises: a computing device having a processor,a display device operatively coupled to the processor, a memoryoperatively coupled to the processor, and a signal interface operativelycoupled to the processor for receiving signals from sensors in a complexsystem. The processor and the signal interface are operable to measure aplurality of parameters corresponding to the usage status of a pluralityof individual components in a system, wherein each particular one of theplurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of a particularone of the plurality of individual components. The memory is operable tostore the values of the measured plurality of parameters. The processorand the memory are operable to weight the values of the measuredplurality of parameters according to at least a first predeterminedformula to create a plurality of weighted values. The processor isoperable to calculate a single wear value from the plurality of weightedvalues using another predetermined formula, which is different from thepredetermined formulas used to create the plurality of weighted values.The display device is operable to display a single indicator indicativeof the qualitative wear status of the overall system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingDrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a boat status display screen for a computer including asystem wear indicator in accordance with one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a boat status display screen for a mobile device includinga system wear indicator in accordance with another aspect of theinvention;

FIG. 3 shows another display screen for the mobile device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows another display screen for the mobile device including asystem wear indicator;

FIG. 5 shows a boat control screen for a mobile device in accordancewith yet another aspect of the invention; and

FIG. 6 shows another display screen for the mobile device of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a boat status displayscreen for a computer including a system wear indicator in accordancewith one aspect of the invention. The display screen 100 may be aconventional screen (i.e., used with a mouse or other pointing device)or it may be a touch-activated screen (“touch screen”). The screen 100may include one or more menu buttons 102 for selecting additionalscreens. The screen 100 may include a main information section 104including indicators for fuel consumption 106, distance traveled sincelast trip 108, estimated miles to go 110, and a cumulative wear statusindicator 112. The screen 100 may further include a fuel informationsection 114 including individual indicators 116 for displaying the fuellevels in individual fuel tanks

The wear status indicator 112 in this embodiment is titled “Wear andTear Score” (also “Wear&Tear” or “W&T”). The wear status system andmethod of this embodiment may collect more than one hundred dataparameters from engines, fuel systems, stability systems (bilge, trimtabs) and, importantly, vibration sensors on all modular endpointsincorporated into the system. The wear status indicator 112 may displaya numeric value 118 for the qualitative indication of cumulative wearstatus. The Wear&Tear Score 118 in this embodiment uses twenty operatingparameters to assess the impact of operating behavior on a population ofsimilar vessels. In other embodiments, different numbers of operatingparameters may be used to assess the Wear&Tear Score 118. The score 118is different from other scores because it measures data from across theoperating systems in the vessel, not just a few.

The Wear&Tear score 118 in a system according to the invention may rangefrom an arbitrarily selected maximum value (“V_(max)”) to an arbitrarilyselected minimum value (“V_(min)”), wherein V_(max) and V_(min) areconsidered arbitrary because they do not directly correlate to anyactual cumulative quantitative value of use or wear for a component, norto any actual cumulative quantitative number of activations or cyclesfor a component. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the system Wear&Tear score118 ranges from V_(min)=0 (low wear and tear) to V_(max)=20 (very highwear and tear). Other ranges may be used in other embodiments. Whilenumeric, this score 118 may be considered qualitative because itrepresents the quality of the system rather than the measurement of theactual quantity or amount of wear. In some embodiments, the Wear&Tearscore 118 is measured on a “per trip” basis, calculated as engine RPMmoves above “Idle” for extended periods of time. In some embodiments,Wear&Tear scores 118 are weighted by operating time, so single “bad”(i.e., high wear and tear) events slowly get averaged out of thecumulative Wear&Tear score for the vessel.

As with other predictive measures of asset life, the Wear&Tear score 118weights some parameters highly and uses others to confirm or change theweighting. In some embodiments for use in boats, significant Wear&Teardata parameters include: 1) accelerometer high events, i.e., both 80% ofpeak and 100% accelerometer events (markers of use in very heavyconditions and collision or grounding); 2) large accelerometerdifferences bow to stern (marker of significant hull flex); 3) highengine oil temperature combined with low engine oil pressure; 4)extended engine RPM at or above rated redline; and/or 5) significantnumber of engine temperature fluctuations. Supporting Wear&Tear scoreparameters may include: 1) total engine operating time; 2) totaloperating time for pumps; and, to a lesser degree, 3) total vehicleoperating events (switch changes, winch time, etc.). In someembodiments, the Wear&Tear score 118 may also account for enginemaintenance actions.

In some embodiments, the system and method may report the Wear&Tearscore 118 and/or summaries of the W&T scores to additional devices via adata network (e.g., a LAN, a vehicle network, the Internet, etc.) usingvarious communications technology (e.g., twisted pair cables, coaxialcables, hybrid twisted pair/coaxial cables, fiber optic networks,cellular networks and/or Wi-Fi). The additional devices may be othercomputers, servers and/or mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets,and personal computers. The additional devices may display W&T score(s)118 or summaries of the scores.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a boat status displaysystem for a mobile device including a system wear indicator inaccordance with another aspect of the invention. The display screen 200of this embodiment is incorporated into a mobile device application(“app”) called “MyBoat”. The application may be run remotely from themonitored system (in this case, the boat) so that the mobile device usercan remotely monitor the system and remotely display the system wearstatus indicator 210 and other parameters. In other embodiments, thedisplay screen may be accessed and displayed on a remote computer, e.g.,via the Internet.

The screen 200 may include one or more menu buttons 202 for selectingadditional screens. The screens 200 may include a main informationsection 204 including indicators for fuel consumption 206, time of lasttrip 208, and a cumulative wear status (“W&T”) indicator 210. The screen200 may further include a fuel and battery information sections 212,214.

The Wear&Tear score 210 in the system of this embodiment is based on thesame 0-20 scale as described in connection with FIG. 1. However, in thisembodiment, the W&T score 210 is expressed in terms of three colors,namely green, orange and red. In other embodiments, different colorsand/or numbers of colors may be used. In this embodiment, a W&T score of7 or less displays indicator 210 in “green”, a W&T score of 8-14displays indicator 210 in “orange”, and a W&T score of 15 or greaterdisplays indicator 210 in “red”. Other ranges may be used in otherembodiments.

Example of Wear&Tear parameters and score formula:

Definition of Parameters: Notes: N: Engine Op time (a sanity [Run minson engine] check on odo-rollers) M: Min of Engine Over Temp[TimeEQ(engine temp > hi temp] Accel abnormal events J: 80% of peak(rough water) [TimeEQ(accel > hi peak] K: 100% of peak (grounding or[TimeEQ(accel > hi hi peak] collision count) I: Time engine at max RPM[TimeEQ(engine rpm > hi hi rpm]

Example W&T Score Formula

WT _(score)=(1000K+5J+10I+50M)/N.

Example of Wear&Tear score calculation:

Example Data

Per Trip Test Data (mins) N 180 M 20 J 120 K 1 I 20 Resulting(calculated) WT_(score) = 15

Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, there are illustrated additional screens300, 400, 500 and 600 of a mobile device according to variousembodiments. Referring in particular to FIG. 6, the screen 600 maydisplays historical data 602 regarding various system parameters thatwere measured and used to calculate the cumulative wear status indicator210. In this embodiment, the recorded system parameters include: 1)speed; 2) engine output-1; 3) engine output-2; 4) engine output-3; 5)engine output-4; 6) acceleration; and 7) engine output 5. In someembodiments, graphical representations 604 of the recorded systemparameters used for determining the system wear indicator are provided.

It will be appreciated that methods in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention may be implemented, performed and/or executed on computingdevices including, but not limited to computers, tablet computers,smartphones, microcomputers or other such devices. Such a computingdevice (not shown) may have a processor, a display operatively coupledto the processor, a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and asignal interface operatively coupled to the processor for receivingsignals from sensors in the complex system.

When thus implemented, performed and/or executed on a computing device,the method comprises the following steps: measuring, using a processorand a signal interface operatively coupled to the processor forreceiving signals from sensors in a complex system, a plurality ofparameters corresponding to the usage status of a plurality ofindividual components in a system, wherein each particular one of theplurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of a particularone of the plurality of individual components; storing, using a memoryoperatively coupled to the processor, the values of the measuredplurality of parameters; weighting, using the processor and the memory,the values of the measured plurality of parameters according to at leasta first predetermined formula to create a plurality of weighted values;calculating, using the processor, a single wear value from the pluralityof weighted values using another predetermined formula, which isdifferent from the predetermined formulas used to create the pluralityof weighted values; and displaying, using a display operatively coupledto the processor, a single indicator indicative of the qualitative wearstatus of the overall system. The single display indicator may be any ofthe display indicators previously described.

In accordance with other aspects and embodiments, a system for thedetermination and qualitative indication of cumulative wear status of acomplex system may be provided. In one embodiment, the system 100comprises: a computing device having a processor, a display deviceoperatively coupled to the processor, a memory operatively coupled tothe processor, and a signal interface operatively coupled to theprocessor for receiving signals from sensors in a complex system. Theprocessor and the signal interface are operable to measure a pluralityof parameters corresponding to the usage status of a plurality ofindividual components in a system, wherein each particular one of theplurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of a particularone of the plurality of individual components. The memory is operable tostore the values of the measured plurality of parameters. The processorand the memory are operable to weight the values of the measuredplurality of parameters according to at least a first predeterminedformula to create a plurality of weighted values. The processor isoperable to calculate a single wear value from the plurality of weightedvalues using another predetermined formula, which is different from thepredetermined formulas used to create the plurality of weighted values.The display device is operable to display a single indicator indicativeof the qualitative wear status of the overall system. The single displayindicator may be any of the display indicators previously described.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail inconnection with a system for use on a boat, it will be easilyappreciated that other embodiments may be used for other vehicle systemsincluding automobiles, trucks, trains and airplanes. Further, it shouldbe understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for the determination and qualitativeindication of cumulative wear status of a complex system having aplurality of individual components, the method comprising the followingsteps: measuring a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus of a plurality of individual components in a system, wherein eachparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponds to the usagestatus of a particular one of the plurality of individual components;storing the values of the measured plurality of parameters; weightingthe values of the measured plurality of parameters according to at leasta first predetermined formula to create a plurality of weighted values;calculating a single wear value from the plurality of weighted valuesusing another predetermined formula, which is different from thepredetermined formulas used to create the plurality of weighted values;and displaying a single indicator indicative of the qualitative wearstatus of the overall system.
 2. A method according to claim 1, whereinthe single indicator indicative of the qualitative wear status of theoverall system is a numeric value with the range from V_(min) toV_(max), where V_(min) is an arbitrarily selected minimum value andV_(max) is an arbitrarily selected maximum value.
 3. A method accordingto claim 2, wherein neither V_(min) nor V_(max) directly correlates toany actual cumulative quantitative value of use or wear for theplurality of individual components.
 4. A method according to claim 2,wherein neither V_(min) nor V_(max) directly correlates to any actualcumulative quantitative number of activations or cycles for theplurality of individual components.
 5. A method according to claim 1,wherein the single indicator indicative of the qualitative wear statusof the overall system is a displayed color selected from a predeterminedfinite set of colors.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein thedisplayed color is a color selected from the set consisting of green,orange and red.
 7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the displayedcolor is a color selected from the set consisting of green, yellow andred.
 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the individual componentis an accelerometer and the particular one of the plurality ofparameters corresponding to the usage status is the occurrence of either(i) 80% of peak measured acceleration or (ii) 100% of accelerometerscale.
 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the individualcomponent is a hull and the particular one of the plurality ofparameters corresponding to the usage status is the occurrence of alarge difference in accelerometer measurements between a bow portion ofthe hull to a stern portion of the hull.
 10. A method according to claim1, wherein the individual component is an engine having a variableengine oil temperature and a variable engine oil pressure and theparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus is the occurrence of (i) a high engine oil temperature at thesame time as (ii) a low engine oil pressure.
 11. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the individual component is an engine having a variableengine RPM value and a maximum engine RPM redline value and theparticular one of the plurality of parameters corresponding to the usagestatus is the occurrence of (i) the engine RPM value being at or above(ii) the maximum engine RPM redline value.
 12. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the individual component is an engine having an enginetemperature and the particular one of the plurality of parameterscorresponding to the usage status is the occurrence of (i) a significantnumber of engine temperature fluctuations.
 13. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the complex system is a boat or ship.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the complex system is an automobile.
 15. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the complex system is an airplane.16. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the system transmitsparameter values via a data network between the system and a remotedevice; and the qualitative indication of cumulative wear status isdisplayed on the remote device.
 17. A method according to claim 7,wherein the remote device is a mobile device.
 18. A method according toclaim 8, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone or tablet device. 19.A method for execution on a computing device for the determination andqualitative indication of cumulative wear status of a complex systemhaving a plurality of individual components, the computing device havinga processor, a display device operatively coupled to the processor, amemory operatively coupled to the processor, and a signal interfaceoperatively coupled to the processor for receiving signals from sensorsin the complex system, the method comprising the following steps:measuring, using a processor and a signal interface operatively coupledto the processor for receiving signals from sensors in a complex system,a plurality of parameters corresponding to the usage status of aplurality of individual components in a system, wherein each particularone of the plurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of aparticular one of the plurality of individual components; storing, usinga memory operatively coupled to the processor, the values of themeasured plurality of parameters; weighting, using the processor and thememory, the values of the measured plurality of parameters according toat least a first predetermined formula to create a plurality of weightedvalues; calculating, using the processor, a single wear value from theplurality of weighted values using another predetermined formula, whichis different from the predetermined formulas used to create theplurality of weighted values; and displaying, using a display deviceoperatively coupled to the processor, a single indicator indicative ofthe qualitative wear status of the overall system.
 20. A system for thedetermination and qualitative indication of cumulative wear status of acomplex system having a plurality of individual components, the systemcomprising: a computing device having a processor, a display deviceoperatively coupled to the processor, a memory operatively coupled tothe processor, and a signal interface operatively coupled to theprocessor for receiving signals from sensors in a complex system, theprocessor and the signal interface being operable to measure a pluralityof parameters corresponding to the usage status of a plurality ofindividual components in a system, wherein each particular one of theplurality of parameters corresponds to the usage status of a particularone of the plurality of individual components; the memory being operableto store the values of the measured plurality of parameters; theprocessor and the memory being operable to weight the values of themeasured plurality of parameters according to at least a firstpredetermined formula to create a plurality of weighted values; theprocessor being operable to calculate a single wear value from theplurality of weighted values using another predetermined formula, whichis different from the predetermined formulas used to create theplurality of weighted values; and the display device being operable todisplay a single indicator indicative of the qualitative wear status ofthe overall system.